Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

‘Perfect’ day for baseball

I just walked through Sheppard’s Place, the media dining room here at Yankee Stadium, and saw David Wells and David Cone having breakfast at the same table. Yogi Berra was in the Yankees clubhouse also, though there was no sign of Don Larsen today. But if we see a perfect game here this afternoon, we’ll know there’s something wild going on.

Some short updates as I return from a two-day respite following the road trip to Baltimore & Toronto:

Robinson
Cano is on the bench this afternoon for the first time this season …
Alex Rodriguez talked his way into the lineup again, and Joe Girardi
thinks he might give him a day off or DH him on Monday … Chien-Ming
Wang starts this afternoon at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Yankees
will look to see consistency on his sinker. Brian Bruney may start Game
2 of the doubleheader up there and could be activated for Tuesday if
everything goes fine. … Nick Swisher will get a day off sometime this
week …

More injury updates: Nothing new on Damaso Marte,
who’s still working on strengthening exercises. He’s “a ways away,”
Girardi said … Xavier Nady is continuing to hit off a tee and
soft-toss … Jose Molina will travel to Tampa during this homestand
and Nady will probably follow when the Yankees leave town.

33 Comments

Mantlewas: Please don’t start that Joba to the bullpen again. That is a dead subject.

1. Theory is that Pettite will retire next year. Unless the team goes out and “buys” another pitcher Joba goes into the 4 slot. Hughes would be 5. (probably)

2. Joba is a prospective top of the rotation guy. Not b.p.

3. Melacon is the prospective closer. He was to stay down in the minors until late in the season. Urgency brought him up as a reliever and he didn’t do too well. But he does have the stuff. The “prospective” remarks were from Mgmt. early in the season. But things could change.

4. If anyone should go to pen it should be Hughes. Fans say that sending him back to AAA where he dominated wouldn’t do him any good. I don’t believe in OJT. He may excel in the b.p. and find his niche.

A few things to ponder:
– This is Johnny Damon’s contract year. I’d like to see him come back but they probably won’t resign him. If Gardner could develop into a trusty lead-off hitter…
– Melky’s arm and defense are solid and if he keeps it up w/the bat, he could definitely continue to be a starting OF.
– Aceves is the man.
– Cervelli is no replacement for Posada, but he’s a better backup than Molina: younger, can run a bit, hits as much or better than Molina, and has shown he can handle the big name pitchers. Really like this kid.
– Joba has done a solid job in the starting rotation and should stay there for the time being. Here’s the question, tho: Mo is still great but is a 40-year old who is quite likely to face mortality very soon. Isn’t Joba Mo’s heir apparent?

There has been little or no reports on the progress of Posada other than he is expected to be available ” this week ” Has there been something written or said. Although Cervelli has been at best serviceable in both defence and offence, Posada simply cannot be replaced.

Todays game copmmences at 09.05 AM Melbourne time. I have a golf game scheduled for 12.00. Is there a remote possibility of having a win assured by say the 7th. Can someone arrange this either Matt or Robert.

Has anyone yet heard from Chaz Bedlam of late.

With Bruney being available who will be sent down as I believe Hughes will be sent to the bull pen where he will share duties with Aceves and Wang will be available probably against The Phillies and has to return. I cannot imagine Hughes learning anything from being sent back down. It is either the bull pen or trade.

Never had much faith in Bruney, disconcerting that he’s supposed to be the answer to the bullpen woes. His outing in the minors indicates he needs more outings. Asking a major league pitcher to pitch one uneventful (0 runs) inning shouldn’t be asking too much.

As much as it is painful to watch Hughes pitch, I’d rather see Wang keep building up his strength rather than rushing back, they need him at his best velocity to be effective.
I wonder if Hughes might benefit from going into the long relief role rather than going back to the minors again or sending him to Billy Conners to learn an off speed pitch. At 22 yrs old theres no rush for him to join the ’09 rotation.

i’m glad the Yankees are winning right now…but i can’t help but think about the bull pen and their inconsistency…many Bomber Bloggers including myself wanted to pick up Juan Cruz…and there was a pretty sizeable tide of retracters…but his ERA was good over the last few seasons…he has shown pretty good consistenly low ERA…the one thing most relievers do not show…there was all this talk about his walks but the only thing that matters ultimately is ERA…and his is lower than every reliever the Yankees have right now…and i’m willing to bet by the end of the season it will be lower than every righty in the Yankee bullpen except Mo Rivera…and maybe all the lefties as well…picking up Juan Cruz would have been a cheap two year deal…a steal in this economy…one that the Royals were smart enough to capitalize on…let’s hope that the differnce between winnig it all and falling short for the Yankees are blown leads in the Playoffs by inconsistant relivers…and by the way Juan Cruz is on pace to walk less batters this year than any other full season he has pitched…
The Yankee Fanatic…!!!!

Don’t know if it’s Girardi or the players themselves, but this team is starting to get it–that you have to find other ways to win besides hitting a home run( Paul ONeil said as much today also) Jeter led the way yesterday with his sac bunt and the team followed through today.

Girardi is still leaving his pitchers in too long-what was the point of letting Burnett throw 123 pitches –and leave the bases loaded for the bullpen? Lucky, the pen came through.

As for Gardner’s play, better the extra hustle then some of the lackadaisical base running Cano and Swisher showed yesterday. It took a great play by Mauer to tag him out.

I did not mind Gardner’s play. It was a play of hustling. He was attempting to win the game. It was an even better play by Joe Mauer who I might point out is an all-star. Not only is this team starting to play better I like the fundamentals finally. Using a sacrifice bunt early in the game was brilliant. Why haven’t they been doing this all along? Additionally Aceves and Tomko stay on the roster. These two can spot start and give the Yankees more than one inning or less. Let’s win again on Monday, but for God Sakes how about a 10-1 win?

I’ve got to agree with mantlewasarockstar. right on brother! where are all of the haters now that the Yanks are doing good?? where are all of the redsux lovers that are always putting their two sense in on the Yankee blogs because they have nothing better to do? i think they’ve got more important things to worry about with their own team. the nation sux ….GO YANKEES!!!

I got to watch this game, and I saw the Yankees drop down 3 sacrifice bunts…. 3 SACRIFICE BUNTS!!!! I would love to know when the last time the Yankees dropped 3 sacrifice bunts in 1 game, because I was amazed at the small ball these Yankees were playing today. It was great to see them doing everything they could to win, and to not just rely on the long ball. I hope Girardi can keep the guys fired up and continue to play this kind of baseball. Good job!

I’ll probably catch hell for this, but hey, the Yankees have won 5 in a a row, 3 of them back-to-back walk-off wins–for the first time since 1972!–against the division leading team, and a formidable contender, respectively. (Furthermore, they’ve won 14 of their 20 games coming from behind.) So, where are all the folks that flood this blog with all their bitching when the Yanks are losing? No love for team when they’re doing it right, only jabs when they’re screwing up? C’mon, let’s be fair and give it to ‘em equally.

Bad call Gardner, ignores the stop sign and goes for home. Bad move would have been Ist & 3rd with one out, bad bad move. he needs a kick in the rear. he is quick but he is not world record holder at 100M.

And off to extra innings, for the second day in a row. Brett Gardner is a hero if he makes it there, but I’m not sure it’s the best play in that situation. Anyway, on they go, with Alfredo Aceves taking the ball here.

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